On World Food Safety Day, we remember that food safety is a collective responsibility - everyone, from producers to consumers, must play their part. Only then can we be sure that the food we put on our plates is safe. However, there are exceptional situations when, even if we have all done our part, unexpected events intervene and food safety is compromised.

There is always something you can do to avoid illness. Are you prepared for the unexpected?

Food safety incidents can range from minor incidents to major international crises, whether it's a power outage at home, food poisoning in a local restaurant, a voluntary recall of contaminated products by a manufacturer, an outbreak of imported products or a natural disaster.

Food safety hazards know no borders, so in an increasingly interconnected global food supply, the risks posed by unsafe food can quickly turn from a local problem into an international emergency.

So what can be done to be ready to deal with food safety incidents?

Governments can:

1. Commit to developing or updating national food safety emergency response plans.
2. Strengthen national food control systems increase surveillance and coordination capacities.
3. Improve communication with food businesses and the general public.

Food businesses can:

1. Improve food safety management plans.
2. Share “lessons learned” and work collaboratively with each other.
3. Improve the way they communicate with consumers.

Consumers can:

1. Ensure they know how to report or respond to a food safety incident.
2. Ensure they understand the implications of the unexpected at home, and how to react.

For more information, please visit the following pages:

FAO – WHO thematic page

Nébih thematic page (in Hungarian)